Jorginho vs Kante: Which midfielder should Chelsea offer new contract?

James Shearman

Updated: 13 Oct 2022 19:29 BST
3 min read

Chelsea midfielders Jorginho and N’Golo Kante are out of contract at the end of the 2022-23 season.

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The pair have been instrumental players for the Blues over the past few years, especially during the club’s 2021 Champions League success.

However, both players are now in their 30s and thus have a limited time remaining at the peak of their powers.

There is no guarantee that either will pen a new deal, especially Kante as he has been struggling with injury problems this season.

Barcelona have been heavily linked with moves in recent days, having signed a host of free transfers in the last year or two.

''Both of them are still in talks with Chelsea but it’s not something close as of now. It will also depend on the board,'' Fabrizio Romano wrote for Caught Offside.

''As we know, Barcelona will monitor many free agents ahead of next summer, but they say it’s too early to see what happens on this situations regarding specific targets.''

Jorginho vs Kante

Make no mistake, N'Golo Kante will go down as not only a Chelsea legend, but a Premier League great once his career comes to a close.

Having won the most unexpected title in English top-flight history with Leicester City, the Frenchman moved to Chelsea and made an immediate impact.

Kante won his second consecutive Premier League trophy under Antonio Conte in 2016-17, before adding FA Cup, Europa League and Champions League titles to his resume.

However, a series of injury problems in recent times has meant that he can no longer be relied upon for an entire campaign.

Wanting an extension of at least three years, despite turning 32 next March, signing Kante to a long-term deal would represent poor business.

Jorginho’s agent João Santos: “His contract is expiring in June but our priority is to negotiate with Chelsea, so we are on it”, tells TMW. 🚨🔵 #CFC

“Barcelona? Maybe I spoke about him or maybe about other players… I was there as also in Madrid, Lyon, Valencia — it’s my job”. pic.twitter.com/eG8fEnm6Pi
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 13, 2022

Meanwhile, Jorginho has never been as effective a player as Kante once was, but is more worthy of a contract extension at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian is a year younger than his French teammate, but the more important reason is that his body is not yet breaking down.

Kante's game relies heavily on physical attributes, whereas Jorginho has always had to work around his physical shortcomings.

So, as he enters the latter years of his career, the ex-Napoli star's technical qualities should allow him to maintain a high level.

His style of play also compliments that of manager Graham Potter perfectly, which should be another factor in the club's decision to choose him over Kante.